Category Archives: Revision
Before and After: A Study of Cutting Excess Language
In focusing on Chapter 2, I’ve worked on the sound of my omniscient narrator. It’s a loud voice, at home with lofty pronouncements and words like comeuppance. It evokes the 19th century without being too stuffy or old-fashioned. The problem is … Continue reading
Studying Point of View Through Revising Chapter 2
I’ve been playing around with the second chapter of my historical novel for a few months now. Yes, I said months. I’m working with the same old plot points, but I’m trying to tell the story in different ways. Ultimately … Continue reading
My Daughter’s Giant Stocking (and Issues of Gauge)
Knitters are supposed to check their gauge before starting a project. That means knitting a little swatch, counting the stitches per inch, and seeing if the result matches up with the pattern requirements. If so, great. If not, it’s necessary … Continue reading
Ahh, Revision
Last November, when I started this blog, I was obsessed with revision. After all, I had spent the past few years hammering out drafts of BODY COPY, my literary small-town newspaper novel. I hadn’t started a new first draft of … Continue reading
Back to the Beginning–Again
I came away from Monday’s critique equipped with thoughtful overview letters, manuscript line edits and 10 single-spaced pages of notes from our several-hour discussion. And now I’m digging into all this rich, fertile soil, not sure whether to plant or … Continue reading
It’s Critique Day!
I’ve been waiting for this day. In September, I submitted two-thirds of my historical novel, LOST NOTES, to my intrepid writing colleagues. We’re going to get together this evening to talk about the manuscript. Our discussions generally last for a … Continue reading
Writing Challenge #10: Keep an Eye on Your First Chapter
Many writers are in the midst of speeding through a 50,000-word novel for NaNoWriMo. This challenge isn’t for you–at least not this month! It’s for those of us working on manuscripts at a less aggressive pace. In fact, it’s all about … Continue reading
My WIP’s Anniversary
Last August, after finishing my literary novel BODY COPY, I started writing a new one. Aptly, I titled the folder “new novel.” It was about two kids from music-box collecting families. I wrote some first-draft scenes. I jotted down notes … Continue reading
Giving Myself Permission to Revise
Once again I’m preparing to break the sacred first-draft rule: Don’t revise. I break this all the time, but don’t always admit to it. When I blogged about submitting my first draft to my critique group in mid-September, Jody Moller … Continue reading
The Barbie Jeep Method: Part 2
After writing in high gear for the past few weeks and finding myself stuck, I thought about the Hero’s Journey workshop I took with Stevan Allred and Joanna Rose this spring. We had homework–making a giant picture of our character’s … Continue reading
